E-roc

Wow. If what's said is true - and I've no reason to disbelieve it, but the current issues take longer to surface over here - but just, wow.

Profoundly disappointed in someone who was a lifetime hero of mine as an artist. I can forgive a lot of my artistic heroes a lot of things,
but today I am just embarrassed to be a VH fan, former or otherwise. In a brief paragraph the man destroyed what was left of any of his artistic integrity. The only funny thing is he won't know how bad he fucked up (see a pattern here, Edward?) until it's too late. But I'm done. Maybe if Brett can change the name of these forums to the Non-Music Links and I won't feel so shitty about coming here anymore. Damn.

Fuck your products, fuck your tour and fuck you, Ed.

E-roc

No. There are apparently infinite other reasons to "stop making music", not the least of which is those pesky fans. Sorry, but this shit bugs me. He also says "people have to consider the other members of the band and they might not like the (new) music" !? Who? Alex (whatever you say Ed) VH? Wolf (thanks for getting me laid, dad) VH? Dave (thanks for saving me from obscurity) Lee Roth? Sam (you've never written a riff I didn't like) Hagar? Or was it Michael (fuck me harder, Ed) Anthony? God damn. Just simply unreal. Our boy has lost it.

brownnation

Tom Petty said it best:

The paper said Ed always played from the heart... a rebel without a clue

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ZachenFoot

I've said some bad things about Edward in the past. But I also held back a lot of the time, in hopes that maybe he'd surprise me. Sure, I thought the last tour sucked. Sure, I hated Wolfgang replacing Mike. But you know what? He could've redeemed himself with a brand new album of brand spanking new material. I always said it wouldn't happen, yet the optimist in me had maybe 5% belief he would pull through and surprise me.

Now, since he's not doing jack shit, and said so himself, I can finally say what I've been holding back for a long time.

Edward, you're a fucking piece of shit. You're a petty, childish, bitter human being who doesn't belong in the spotlight anymore, and hasn't since 1996.

Sam has bad work ethic. Right. Explain all the solo albums and Chickenfoot WITH a VH reunion in 2004. Dave would've been an embarrassment. Right. Explain the excellent DLR Band album he put out following the split, obviously he had fuel in the tank. Explain why you used him as a hired gun in 2007?

I want to see David Lee Roth do two things:

1) Write a book detailing these past few years.
2) Release an album. Anger and disappointment makes for great music, and if Dave steps up his vocal game on record like he did in 2007, it'd be very good.

Hopefully now that we have this no new music revelation Dave says "Go fuck yourself" and joins Sam, Mike, and even Gary in the dignified ex-VH members sector of Van Halen history.

It's almost as if the Wolfgang thing takes on a whole new meaning. Let's go beyond the Mike Anthony thing at this point (whatever bullshit childish reasoning he has, as now I seriously doubt there's some "unknown circumstances" behind that situation). It was Ed saying "Fuck it, what's one more unpopular decision?" and going the cheap way, son be damned (come on, Wolfie didn't want to be there, we all knew it).

"Meet us in the future." How can we now that we know nothing's coming? And video games, TV appearances, and shoes don't count. The fact that he's selling himself out because he doesn't want to put out music is horrifyingly pathetic. This is just another stage in Eddie's track record of pathological lying. And I don't buy this "why bother" horseshit. People WOULD buy it and people would probably like it. I'm sure I'd find something to like, too! I just don't think he wants to anymore.

The battle is settled. Chickenfoot won. Gary Cherone won with Extreme's album. And you know what? Any solo album David Lee Roth puts out, if he does, will win over Edward Van Halen.

I hate to say I told you so, everyone. But I told you so. And I'm not necessarily bragging about it. This is a sad day for Van Halen fans and optimists everywhere. Including myself. The last shred of respect I had for Eddie and this band is gone. I'm gonna find it hard to listen to Van Halen music seriously anymore, as if I didn't have enough difficulty already. I can still have respect from bands I lost interest in years ago because at least they keep trying. But when a man openly admits he's given up yet continues to pawn himself off in other ways, that's when you lose my respect.

Eddie, you haven't learned shit during your recovery, and you haven't changed a bit. You're an asshole and always will be one. Piss off.

The VH albums, VH posters, and VH shirts are going on eBay next week. I have no legitimate use for them anymore. Eddie doesn't respect my contribution to his bank? Fine. He can go fuck himself. Roll over in the money I gave him all he wants, just so long as he knows that he'll never get another penny from me.

Son of a bitch. I've said my part on a personal level, I'm done.

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vhrocks2005 (7/11/05-5/25/09)

"If he's on roids he's taking the worst shit imaginable." -Bob_R's rebuttal to Eddymon's accusation of Johnny Damon's steroid use (10/20/09).

"It lasted all of 15 minutes in my CD player and then was donated...I seriously gave it to a homeless person on the corner of Southfield and Warren in MI along with $10 and my sincerest apologies." -VHFRK5150's story on Van Halen III (11/24/09).

"Didn't you know? Ed has stipulated that VH shows are now mike-free. All microphones are to be referred to as "wolfrophones". It may be shortened to simply "wolf"." -VegasVic on Van Halen's new microphones (12/4/09)

Avatar credited to the fine work of Sixstring!

Little Dreamer

Surely no one will rejoice over this. This guy used to be our hero.

It's a bit worrying to think that the angrier we get, the more recluse EVH will in turn be. Couldn't AVH stage some kind of intervention and put things back on the right track? Or maybe Rick Rubin?

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brownnation

I don't think anything can be accomplished until Ed quits blaming others. I was beginning to think that was a symptom of the substance abuse and he was putting it behind him, but now I just think it is part of his psyche.

He's just kind of a whiny bitch at this point.

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Benjami

well that sucks.

i think this would be one of the biggest let downs in the music industry in the last 10 years or something? (next to chinese democracy >.>)
always telling about jamming out and sitting in the studio and shit like that and the next thing he says is that he wont record anything new.
at the same time earning milions of dollars on shitty merchandise >.>
and i have only been a fan for about a year i cant even imagine how pissed off you guys are seriously.



but hey, we still got all the other great guitar players, bassists and singers around who have fun in playing, who care about the fans and the music and who will always keep making new records without thinking the $$$
i can list em all right now but the list would be long, and so damn good it shouldnt even be related to VH since he would be a disgrace to the others if he were on that same list, but you all know who these guys are right? lets fucking celebrate them.
they stay true to rock music, fuck you ed.

Casemeister

What Edward said is clearly about the majority of the fans here.

How do said fans react?

By further berating a man most of them have never met.

Read between the lines. I have no doubt that Ed has a whole stack of new music ready to go. He says, however, that certain band members don't like it. Certain band members? Dave. What Ed is saying is that if he released this music -- this very un-VH sounding music -- then everybody would just tell him how much it sucked, etc. Would you want to release something you've worked hard on to the public if you knew that you'd be called washed up or creatively useless if they didn't like it?

The man cannot win.

How many here like VH3? I personally do, but I'm in the overwhelming minority. What if Ed released a Van Halen album that sounded even less like classic Van Halen music than VH3? You'd all be making posts about how it sucks, how VH is dead, and such. If he doesn't release said album, well, "VH is dead," etc.

He can't win.

What if Chickenfoot's album sounded like a cross between Indonesian folk music and Chad Smith playing the ukulele? Would the response to it be so positive from Van Halen fans? No. Van Halen fans like that album because it sounds, to a fairly large degree, quite similar to the Van Halen music they love. What if Ed is now incapable of writing in that style? He's a much older man than he was when he wrote Unchained.

Don't take it so seriously... and imagine how you'd feel if you had fans deriding you on a personal level simply because you're not releasing music that you know the majority of them won't like anyway.

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"There ain't nothin' quite as sad as watching your heroes die."

RIP, Hoss!

Casemeister

You know what?

You've inspired me.

I'm going to give them a call at work to let them know I'll be working for zero pay from now on. After all, they've paid me for every day I've worked so far. They've been good to me. It's time for me to give something back to them.

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Waylon Jennings: 1937-2002.
"There ain't nothin' quite as sad as watching your heroes die."

RIP, Hoss!

Benjami

you cant live a proper life without the money you get from your job, and the company cant go on without any employees, Ed already has enough money to live off for the rest of his life and its enough to live a damn good one, yet he keeps asking for more, so how can these situations be compared?

At0micPunk

I find it hard to believe that Ed truly has given up on the idea of ever releasing new music. That's a pretty big bomb shell to be casually dropped in a guitar mag interview. Maybe it is true and totally his feeling on it. Maybe he was just saying it out of frustration in the moment. Time will tell.

Surely his passion for guitar and music hasn't passed him by. He can't be realistic in thinking people expect a new VH cd to top or sound just like anything classic. Most long time fans want to hear some of their maturity and other things in the music not just an attempt to relive the past.

I read some of the reactions here. People have reason to be put off. Some go a little far though, thats just my opinion. Telling people to "take their tents down" as if pleasure is gotten out of someone's disappointment? What is that? It's not delusional to be hopeful that an artist you have liked for a longtime may put out something new. There is no tent or banners nor is anyone dreaming about it daily. It's just a hopeful thought fueled by the seeming resurgence of the band and Ed's health.

Imo the hopeful ones at least had reasons to post so often. Why when someone hates Ed and is so pessimistic and "done" with them posts and comes here so often is beyond me. I'm not better than anyone else but I loved KISS as a kid and still like their old stuff. I don't have much interest in them nowadays with how the band has gone so the last thing I would do is go on a KISS forum and try to tell the people who are hopeful, or into the tour, or whatever how much it all sucks and how they are all sheep. IMO those are the tents and banners that should be taken down and packed up and maybe buy a punching bag instead.

So where there is life there is hope. I think this interview is disappointing to read but mostly because Ed seems to have a defeatist attitude. He seems depressed which seems to be contrary to the image portrayed of him of late.

My hope is that what was said was not the bottom line on all of this. If I'm wrong well no worries, I love what has been recorded in the past and if this all goes nowhere I'll lose interest in talking about it. If something does come out I'd be very interested in checking out.

Another thing I don't get. What does Chicken Foot have to do with this at all? I like CF but CF sounds nothing like the VH I love. Their are a lot of bands out there making music and touring, why would CF fill the void? Cause Sammy is the singer? Not really a good replacement for DLR fronted VH imo. So what else. cause Mike is in CF and he was "let go" from VH and in a band thats happily making music so it's a natural replacement? It's a fk you Ed VH isn't doing shit and you fked Mike so All hail the Sam and Mike band CF and fk Ed's dysfunctional VH? Thats kid stuff to me. Again I like CF but no where near the chemistry of DLR and EVH. If VH doesn't do anything else there is still a big world out there you know. There is no void left that needs to be filled by Sam and Mike's band or Gary's for that matter.

The music thing is disappointing to read. Hard to know if thats all final or just the ramblings of frustration. Still the worst of it imo is that Ed's seems depressed and has a hopeless outlook. Hopefully he has a change in heart and puts something out someday. A lot of people would love to hear more from him. I know I would.

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brownnation

Weak ass cop out.

1st - I'd be glad to accept Ed not making music, but don't pull this bullshit "I'm always making music" tune all the time and then "but woe is me I'm so misunderstood by the public I can't release it".

2nd - as a lifetime VH fan I don't really give a shit what it sounds like. I will not judge it based on CVH or Van Hagar, or anything else. It's either good to me or it isn't. Ed's trying to put up this false dichotomy: people won't like my new music b/c they want VH to sound like they did 25 years ago. That's bullshit. People just want it to be good. VH fans don't have an expectation of a certain sound, they just want it to be good. Humans Being to me is the last great thing VH did and to my ear it didn't sound like anything they had ever done before! I'm open to whatever crazy shit Ed wants to throw at us, and I will base my opinion on simply whether I think it is good or not.

3rd - to expound on my second point. I honestly thought Hagar was done. I absolutely loved the shit that he was putting out until the BOBW tracks and then the piece of shit Livin' It Up album (aside from a couple tracks). I was done with him and I figured "oh well, he had a great run". Then he came back with the perfect attitude and CF completely brought it. I'm totally back on board! Eddie could absolutely do the same thing. I ain't buying this "damned if I do damned if I don't" bullshit that Eddie is slinging.

4th - I'm fine if he retires and never puts out another new song ever. But for crissakes don't blame the fans for your lack of production. Quit blaming lead singers. Quit blaming record companies, the public, the state of music, free downloads, lawyers, and everything under the sun for your lack of production. It's so old, it's so tired, it's so trite, it's so petty, and it has just gotten pathetic.

Excuse after pathetic excuse. Quit giving this guy a pass, he hasn't earned it in a long time.

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Ian Sane

At this stage I'd rather Van Halen calls it quits. Ed is unable to be honest with himself, let alone anyone else. Wolf is nowhere near as good for the band as Mike ever was.

Open the vaults, release some of those early demos and live recordings. I'd much rather have those released properly from a time when the band was vital and relevant than any new recordings at this stage.

What a joke this band has become.

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BRING MIKE BACK TO VAN HALEN!! SAY NO TO THE KID!!

Van Halen - 1978-1996

Chickenfoot Rocks!

Little Dreamer

The guy put our brilliant music, and is now upset because ppl have high expectations! He should take this as a compliment.

It's true some might not care, but it's a bit irritating when you've admired someone for a long time and then they suddenly start lying and deceiving every interview they give. Everyone knows what he's saying about Mike is bs, still he continues. Frankly it's embarrassing.

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E-roc

Speaking for myself, I agree some may have overreacted. But I knew this
"he doesn't owe us anything" argument would come up. It's totally not even
the point. Even if I think Ed does owe the fans, at minimum, some respect,
it's the fact that he uses every excuse imaginable to avoid being responsible
to himself as an artist, all the while lying to himself and everyone around
him. That there's apparently such a lack of imagination on how to deal with
the market, or lack thereof, from someone who was one of the world's most
imaginative players, is what I called profoundly disappointing. He has more
or less admitted he's dead as an artist. That is sad.

And the Chickenfoot comparisons are entirely fair, even if I don't give a shit
about that band. Here's some guys who make new music simply for the
love of it, release it on their own terms and go gold without even trying.
And I don't buy this "he can't win" bullshit. If you can't take the criticism,
you are dead as an artist. There are plenty of Prince and Bowie
records - Vai, Satriani, U2, whatever - that I don't like, but I still have
nothing but love for them as artists, and nothing but respect when they try
to do anything new at all. That's what being an artist is; being brave enough
to take chances and sometimes fall on your ass. And again, coming from
one of the greatest pioneers, it's a sad day when he says it's just not worth it.

$.02